Author: Tristan Deliana

Tristan Deliana Link to Story Map because it gets cut off on the blog post: https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/16945eb4b6d4bd1c035a3a3eb37beb86/margery-kempe/draft.html

     A modern day map and the Hereford Mappa Mundi have drastically different styles of mapping the world but both contain vital information pertaining to travel. Modern day maps do not contain a subjective world view, but rather keep a more objective and neutral lense. They display the world as it is, with minor unintended errors such as enlarging countries. For example in the Mercator projection, due to attempting to place a 3D spherical world on a flat plane. Modern day maps display countries that are partially or entirely recognized, indicating borders, cities, and terrain of the area. They are useful for accurate navigation and for understanding the geographical location of an area and its terrain. They do not usually contain mythological or religious elements to them and remove the sense of the unknown due to technological advances in mapping and seeing the world. Using a modern map, the physical extent of Margery Kempe’s travels is truly revealed, displaying visually the large distance she had to cover from England, across the European continent, and to Jerusalem. It gives a realistic idea of what route she may have had to take, the distance she would have had to travel, the time it would have taken, and the terrain she would have had to overcome. It gives a pragmatic view of her journey without any bias, and can allow the viewer to either mentally or physically replicate her journey. It is devoid of subjective perspectives or prejudices that can affect the perception of how locations are, or what they should be like. For example, on the Hereford Mappa Mundi, the labyrinth of Minos is present whilst in reality, if someone were to have followed the Hereford Mappa Mundi they would find no such labyrinth, at least in the area indicated. 

  The Hereford Mappa Mundi on the other hand itself focuses much less on precise geographical depictions like a modern map and more on presenting the religious worldview. In comparison to a modern map, Margery Kempe’s journey on the Hereford map appears much shorter. On the Hereford map, cities are placed much closer in proximity to each other, countries are distorted and shrunken to conform to the T-O style that places Jerusalem at the center of the world. Margery’s journey on the Hereford Mappa Mundi looks as though she had traveled much less than she actually did. It does not display detail of terrain other than very broad imagery used to display rivers and the Alps, making her journey look flatter and relatively simple. This is because the map is not intended for accurate navigation but for the average viewer to have a certain view of the world around them.The map was created with religious iconography and placed into a Catholic cathedral displayed to a Catholic parish. It was intended to display an English Catholic perspective of how the world is assumed to be.     

    The map depicts Christ at the top with angels holding inscriptions whilst other angels turn themselves to look at the world and to the saints around them. These drawings and inscriptions visibly present two core Catholic beliefs. Christ is God and the king of both Heaven and of Earth itself. The second being that the saints are alive in heaven and can engage in intercessionary prayer. The map also displays biblical events and locations and places Jerusalem as the center of the world since this is where Christ was crucified and resurrected giving salvation to all of humanity. This gives more emphasis to the religious aspect of Margery’s journey. She does not travel for politics nore economic motivations. She does not travel with the intent of finding new lands and exploring. Her sole intentions are religious in nature, motivated by the Spirit of God to visit holy sites for the benefit of her soul. The Hereford map displays the cross with Christ on it directly above Jerusalem, which is in the middle of the map, telling the viewer that at the center of it all is Christ and the salvation He brings to humanity. Margery herself is departing from England with the intention of arriving to Jerusalem for pilgrimage, she travels to not only the center of the world, but also the place that holds sites of the faith that is the center to her life. In this aspect, the Hereford Mappa Mundi is more faithful to Margery’s journey and account in comparison to a modern map. In her narrative, Margery never describes the exact route she takes, the terrain that she must travel through, and rarely describes someone’s ethnicity or culture. The focus of her narrative is based on religious nature, and if it talks about something else it is always tied back to her faith, religion, or Christ. Just as her narrative, the Hereford Mappa Mundi places emphasis on Christ, Catholic doctrine, religious sites, and mythological mysteries rather than practical matters like distance. 

     A modern map and the Hereford Mappa Mundi may appear stylistically very different but both serve an important role in understanding the world and travel, specifically that of Margery Kempe. A modern map will give genuine appreciation to the large scale that Margery had to travel and the terrain she had to overcome. It will give an objective view of the world she had to travel through, with the exception of modern day borders. The Hereford Mappa Mundi gives emphasis to the purpose of her travels, and allows the viewer to gain access to how Margery herself would have seen the world. It allows the viewer to see the importance of faith and how it affects a person’s motives, specifically pertaining to travel and pilgrimage and can give a better insight to Margery’s thought processes that she details in her book. 

Link to Story Maps: https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/16945eb4b6d4bd1c035a3a3eb37beb86/margery-kempe/draft.html   

Pictures used for storymaps: 

Rome: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_peters_basilica_interior_drawing.jpg

Assisi:https://www.posterazzi.com/assisi-italy-in-the-late-19th-century-from-el-mundo-ilustrado-published-barcelona-circa-1880-posterprint-item-vardpi1958095/?srsltid=AfmBOoqewbND0DcoXcG5Yb_XIIWN7LZLZNK-_HEjUibWqMEzv9L-zkCp

Venice: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gentile-Bellini

Jerusalem: https://www.saintjohnchurch.org/palm-sunday/

Bologna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towers_of_Bologna

Konstanz:https://www.meisterdrucke.ie/fine-art-prints/Unknown-artist/915499/Exterior-view-of-the-Notre-Dame-Cathedral-in-Constance,-Germany.-Engraving-in-%27The-Universe-illustr%C3%A9%27.html

Zierikzee:https://www.alamy.com/ruin-of-the-sint-lievensmonsterkerk-in-zierikzee-after-the-fire-of-1832-the-st-lievens-monsterkerk-in-zierikzee-daily-after-the-brandview-of-the-building-of-the-sint-lievensmonsterkerk-in-zierikzee-after-the-fire-of-october-6-1832-on-the-left-the-tower-that-has-remained-intact-right-the-destroyed-church-building-image414430917.html

Yarmouth:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Nicholas_Great_Yarmouth_1864_Ecclesiologist22camb_0047.jpg

Norwich:https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1919-print-norwich-cathedral-norfolk-england-architecture-landscape-dayes-art-129953-xac9-036 

Norfolk:https://www.wellandantiquemaps.co.uk/product/st-margarets-church-west-front-lynn-norfolk-by-mackenzie-le-keux-c-1809-2/ 

Virgin Mary Fighting Devil:https://www.bl.uk/stories/blogs/posts/the-medieval-origins-of-mothering-sunday 

Saint George Drawing:https://monarchies.fandom.com/wiki/Saint_George%27s_Cross?file=St_George_BNF_Fr_241_101v.jpg

Ship drawing: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25896-medieval-longship-by-bolin-finished-130-based-on-reconstruction-helga-holm/ 

Holy Roman Empire drawing: https://themiddleagesperiod4.weebly.com/the-holy-roman-empire.html

Christ Middle ages depiction: https://ica.themorgan.org/manuscript/page/30/77488

The Annunciation drawing: https://michaelfaletra.weebly.com/virgin-mary.html 

Crucifixion: https://ica.themorgan.org/manuscript/page/18/77488

Margery finds herself without funds to be able to make another voyage for her pilgramage to Santiago in Spain as she had given all her money away to others during her journey. She eventually prays to God to help her in her time of need which then many people begin to give her money. Some gave money in request she pray for them in Santiago. This sort of prayer which is intercessory prayer is an important part of the Catholic faith and is the same time of request Catholics make to the Virgin Mary and saints, requesting they pray for them in heaven to God.  People, like Margey’s friend, give her money for her voyage as they have a genuine belief that Margery’s intercessory prayer in a holy site like Santiago has a genuine benefit to the spiritual well being of their soul.

Eventually Margery obtains enough funds to beging her journey to Bristol, from which she would then travel to Santiago. She has heard that the rode from King’s Lynn to Bristol is filled with thieves that could rob her, but she is assured by God she will be safe. Eventually she arrives in Bristol where she again greets the man with the hunchback who traveled with her to Rome, where she pays him back for his help just as she had promised back in Rome.

Margery ends up waiting 6 weeks in Bristol for a ship because the king had requisitioned all of them.  It seems the harbor in Bristol is a common location for routine ships between Santiago, or at least Spain, and England, hence why Margery already knows about it. It also seems to be the major port in the area, since all other ports have no ships available to the point many pilgrims end up preferring to return to Bristol to wait for a ship to Santiago.

While in Bristol she continues to recieve communion and attend mass, where her weeping is again ridiculed by others around her, in return she prays to God for Him to forgive them. She again weeps for God during the procession in the town, and whilst again some were annoyed, others were astonished by her and end up inviting her to eat and drink with them, as well as to talk about God. Again as before, some of those people pay her to pray for them in Santiago.

Eventually a ship from Britanny arrives in Bristol but she is prevented from boarding due to a rich man who refuses her entry due to his dislike for her. She is eventually summonded by the Bishop of Worcester who does not reprimand her as many others have done but instead praises her and even asks her to pray for him as well. This is most suprising since many times people were angry with her display of piety, maybe because many expected women to be silent in public regarding to religious matters, but the Bishop himself respects her and asks for her prayers. He gives her gold, an escort, and blessings for her journey, and eventually she boards a ship for Santiago.

According to Margery the weather and wind were preferable for sailing and the journey finished in 7 days, so I would assume 6-7 days would be the usual time it takes for a ship to go from Bristol to Santiago.

When she arrives in Santiago, she finds that many who were cruel to her in Bristol were kinder to her now. In Santiago she prays, eventually returning to Bristol with her companions.

After spending sometime in Rome, eventually Margery is commanded by God to return to her home. She departs Rome with her travelling party who again reiterate the common fear that they may encounter thieves along the journey home. Margery again assures her company that God will protect them during their travels. A little outside of Rome, Margery encounters a young priest whom she had been exchanging letters and decides to accompany her and her ground to Middleburg. I presume to get to Middleburg  Netherlands Margery ends up taking the same route she took from England to Italy. Since she does not specify, and since it seems her way of getting to Italy was the common route for pilgrams, I assume she again went North up until Bologna where then she travelled through the Alps along one of the common trails. I assume then again she went up until Konstanz Germany until she got to Middleburg Netherlands. This was the route she took orginally to get to Italy and again seems to be a common route taken, so to me it would make sense for her to just use it again to return home, especially as she is travelling with a large group of people. I also assume her method of travel was the same meaning, she mostly walked and continued to stop in peoples’ homes to eat and sleep just as she did before originally.

When Margery arrives in Middleburg, most of her company initially boards a ship to pass the English channel whilst Margery herself chose to remain in the city a little longer. Eventually she boards a “small ship” to cross the channel where she encounters a large storm, fortunately she arrives in England where she thanks God for getting her through the voyage. Based on how quickly her companions were able to find a ship upon their arrival in the Netherlandsm and how quickly she was able to get a ship after them, makes me believe this is probably some routine ferry / ship route pilgrams and travelers take all the time to get between mainland Europe and England.

Eventually Margery arrives again in Norwich England where she gives reverence to the Trinity just as she did when she initially departed Norwich to make her way to Jerusalem. In Norwich she meets the Vicar of Saint Stephan’s where he asks her about her travels and where she requests again to wear white clothing. She meets a generous man who, after speaking to her about her tales, agrees to pay for her white clothes since she had no money because she donated all of it to the poor while in Italy. She then recieves Holy Communion on Trinity Sunday in her all white clothes.

Eventually her husband makes his way down from Lynn to Norwich and then shortley after the two return together to Lynn. The distance between Lynn and Norwich is rather small with no major rivers in the way so the two would be able to complete the distance hiking within 2-3 days just as she had done when she departed from Lynn to make her way to Norwich and then Jerusalem.

Eventually the two arrive in Lynn where again Margery encounters judgment from her peers and she eventually gets extremely ill. Though Christ assures her she will not die she is so sick she is sure of it. When she eventually recovers she decides she wants to go to Santiago in Spain and she sets out to get the funds from her companions in Lynn. I presume she wants to go to Santiago to visit the remains of St. James which is a popular location for Christian pilgrims

Margery, now in Jerusalem, continues to visit Holy sites within the city such as Golgatha, weeping at each one at the thought of Christ’s torture at the hands of men. Presumably she travels to all these places on foot as she does not mention another mode of travel. She does not recieve aid from her fellow travelers, especially when she is walking up  Mount Quarantania, but only recieves help from Friars and “Saracens” which according to Britannica was used at some point in the middle ages to describe anything or anyone originating from Arabia. This defintely shows something special about Jerusalem with the peaceful interactions between faith, where Margery herself states that an Arab/or Muslim man would help up the mountain when she was beginning to get tired and where Catholic Grey Friars would supply her with water and comfort her when her “fellow country men would not acknowledge her”

She eventually makes her way to Bethany to visit the homes of Mary and Martha, as well as the tomb of Lazarus. Again Palestine is an interesting comparison to England with Margery her self stating she would walk around the country Muslim/or Arab people would accompany her and aide her, giving her special attention, as well as stating the entire populice of the area (Both Christian and Muslim) was kind to her and that all interactions were good  unlike her interactions with her fellow countrymen.

She eventually returns to Jerusalem and then Ramleh, where God commands her to go to Rome and then to return to England, and that she is pardoned in those places just the same as if she were in Jerusalem. She eventually boards a ship (presumably the same route she came with) to return to Venice. Though her companions are ill, Christ assures her that no one will die on the ship.

Eventually when they arrive in Venice, again her companions abandon her. She meets a man with a great hump on his back and, remembering her confessors words foretelling that a hunchback will accompany her when her companions abandon her, asks him to accompany her to Rome. He is reluctent because of his fear of robbers which I presume indicates this was a common issue in the area to get to Rome that travelers had to work around. I assume the typical way they would get around this is travelling in large groups with weapons, I say this because the man originally refuses to travel with Margery because he acknowledges that her companions have left her and therefore they would be left alone and have no one to carry crossbows and swords to protect them from robbers. Eventually Margery convinces him only on the condition that they travel with two Friars and some women, one of which carrys an image of Christ with her. This group including the man with the hump (Richard) were much kinder to Margery, presumbly because they themselves were quite religious and seemed to have resonated with her weeping.

Along the journey to Assisi, again Margery stays at another person’s house to rest and eat (which because of how many times this happened I assume is common in Medieval travel) where she loses and finds her ring dedicated to Christ.

Eventually Margery arrives in Assisi with Richard, with the method of travel not mentioned, where she meets Margaret Florentyne. The two ask this woman if they can join her party until Rome. Richard specifically asks because he hopes to avoid thieves by travelling with Margret, who presumably has a much larger party (possibly with weapons) that protects against robbers and other criminals. Margaret agrees, and all three travel together into Rome.

In Rome, Margery is recieved into the Hospital of Saint Thomas and recieved communion and confession every Sunday. Again the method of travel to Rome, aside from travelling with a large party, is not mentioned.

Here is the link to my map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1H-JXjjcZgqbywpIZ1ZGmH0vX1edEvaI&usp=sharing

Blue Line: Her travels from Norfolk-Norwich-Yarmouth-Zierikzee-Konstanz-Bologna-Venice-Jerusalem

Red Line: Her travels from Bethany-Jerusalem-Back to Venice-Assisi-Rome

Blue icons: Places she went to in Europe

Red Icons: Places she went to in Asia

Each icon is given with a symbol which shows her mode of transportation at each region

a descripition is given in each text box of each location

In chapter 27 Margery Kempe is still in Konstanz Germany separated from her group and her handmaiden. Within the city she meets a well respected Friar who acknowledges her tears are out of genuine love for God and not for show, and agrees to eat dinner with her and her previous companions in order to help her with her ordeal, all he asks is that she does not speak. 

      During the dinner, her companions attempt to convince the Friar that they can no longer allow her into the party unless she stops her weeping and fasting of meat. The Friar denies their arguments stating it would be incorrect if he were to command someone who had taken a vow to walk to Rome barefoot as a pilgrim, just the same it would be wrong if he commanded her to stop her fasting. Based on this phrase I would assume to some degree these types of religious vows are common during pilgrimages, such as virgins wearing white, fasting from foods, and in this case walking barefoot. This reminds me of, or is possibly due to, other religious practices in the Christian faith like fasting during Holy Lent, Nativity of Christ, or fasting on Wednesdays or Fridays. These types of fasts are important for removing oneself from indulging in the material world and humbling oneself before God and to be reminded of the necessity of spiritual prayer and humility by abstaining from material things. I think this would be especially important for someone like the Friar and Margey Kempe which is why I see why she would take such a fast for her journey and I see why the Friar would support it. Though I am quite surprised to see the other pilgrims upset at her fasting despite this being a common practice within the faith. 

    Eventually the group hand her to the Friar who provides her with money and a guide named William Werver. As the two make their way to Bologna in an unspecified manner, Margery describes again being hosted by people in their homes along the way and being fed by them; it does not specify that she had to pay for these acts of kindness. This makes me think this is a common practice of the era in which pilgrims are fed and hosted for free by people in their own homes along their journey maybe because the journey is a religious one for God. Eventually the two arrive in Bologna in which again she meets her former companions, in order to rejoin the group they permit her to eat meat but to at least stop her weeping. 

 They eventually arrived in Venice, where they remained for 13 weeks with Margery receiving Holy communion every Sunday. Eventually she speaks of the Gospel again to the dismay of the group and they begin to diverge again. When it is time to set sail for Jerusalem Margery opts to take a galley (a low ship with 1-2 sails) all the way from Venice to the Holy land. Eventually they arrive at the port, to get from the port to Jersualem, Margery chooses to ride a donkey. Possibly this may be because this is one of the cheaper or common forms of transportation to get to Jerusalem but I think this may also be Margery imitating Christ who also rode into Jerusalem with a donkey on Palm Sunday. This makes sense to me since Margery is an extremely religious Christian. She eventually visits important holy sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and weeps for Christ who was tortured, crucified, buried, and resurrected for humanity’s sake.  

    In chapter 26 Margery Kempe, who is located in Norfolk England, is finally granted approval for her travel to the Holy Land by the archbishop and her husband. It appears she is a middle class woman and not a part of religious order like nuns but is extremely religious (catholic) herself. She is commanded by Christ to adorn white clothing which is specifically for consecrated virgins but this decision is most likely due to her vow of a chaste marriage with her husband and her return to faith from doubt. She says in her dialogue with God that she is afraid to be ridiculed on her journey for “hypocrisy” but ultimately decides her faith and servitude to Christ’s command is more important than ridicule (which is seen later in this chapter as something she will endure heavily). 

  She initially travels to Norwich and Yarmouth to receive blessings and give offerings to God and the Virgin Mary where at Yarmouth she boards a ship to arrive at a large town called Zierikzee which is located in modern day Netherlands. It is not stated whether it was some sort of routine ferry between the two places (which I assume it is due to her being middle class) or a privately chartered boat. She states she does not eat meat as a sort of fast despite her confessor granting her permission to (which insinuates that travel is known to be very harsh and food like meat, despite fasts, is permitted and urged for travellers)   

 From Yarmouth to Zierikzee she follows the typical practice for medieval travel of travelling in groups, the group she is with are labeled her “companions” and she also brings along one personal maid servant. Eventually her group along with her maid servant grow discontent with her weeping for God and depart from her. The next day one of her remaining companies approaches her and offers to travel in another group as fellow pilgrims up to Konstanz Germany (southern Germany) which is also typical in medieval traveling. Because of how easy it was for her to find another group the next day I assume this route that she is taking is a very popular route for pilgrims to get to Jerusalem for pilgrimages from England. 

   She was shamed by her pilgrim group and made to wear outfits to make her appear as a fool, which may have something to do with her previous all white outfit but it’s not mentioned. Maybe it is because she is not only a solo female traveler, but also because she is an outspoken religious/Christian woman, something typically seen as reserved for men in this period. 

    Its stated along their journey they stayed at the house of another person to eat supper and who fed the pilgrims, which insinuates that some medieval people would offer than homes to allow pilgrims to stay the night and feed them as well, most likely because their journey was a Holy one and not for frivolous or political reasons. 

  Eventually she arrives in Konstanz Germany, though it is unspecified if it was entirely by foot or another method, where she immediately attends Church to pray to Christ, which shows her religious dedication in this journey.